The Isiolo County government has signed a deal with USAID that will see small and medium enterprises (SMEs) linked with international markets to accelerate local development. The Isiolo Governor, Mohamed Kuti, stated that the five-year project will set up economic zones in his county to attract investors from the United States of America thereby creating jobs for unemployed youth and reducing poverty.

In his statement, the Governor said, ‘The establishment of the economic zones will create opportunities for youths so that they get into gainful employment and help reduce the number of those abusing drugs and joining terror groups due to lack of jobs’.

The USAID Kenya Mission Director, Mark Meassick, stated that ‘the project, which will be jointly implemented, measured and monitored by the USAID Office and the County Government, focuses on health, agriculture, trade, nutrition, democracy and governance, security and livestock. We believe in counties as key drivers of economic growth and we will allow them to take a leadership role in the implementation of the programme’.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was done in Isiolo Town. Seven other counties – Kakamega, Makueni, Kiambu, Kisii, Kisumu, Mombasa and Nakuru – will also benefit from similar agreements, all of which come under a SH50 billion USAID initiative.

Source: Daily Nation

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